Machine for hand seaming in vacuum



f Dec. 19, 1939. I G,-L,ARDRON 2,199,999

MACHINE FOR `HAND SEAMING 1N VACUUM l Filed sept. '7, 1937 5 sheets-sheet '1 Dec. 19, 1939. cs. l.. ARDRON I .2,183,903

I MACHINE FOR HAND SEAMING IN VACUUM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2r Filed Sept. 7, 1937 I l i Dec. 19, 1939. G. ARD'RON- 2,183,999

MACHINE FOR HAND SEAMING INv VACUUM Filed sept. 7, 1937 'ssheetsA-Sheet 3 Gjfazd L; Amman,

Aiirull Dec. 19; 1939. G. L. ARDRQN f l2,183,903 f MACHINE FOR AHAND SEAMING IN VACUUM I Filed slept. '7, 1937 5 sheets-sheet 4 f will. 66 72 yZ9 n 25 l Y I, (ezgald L. zduo, l

1G. l.. ARDRON Y MACHINE Fon HAND sEAMING IN- VACUUM Dec. ,19, 1939.

Filed sept. 7, 1937 5 sheets-sheet 5 condition in said chamber and effective to pre.-

ven't opening'of the doorv `until the. chamber'.

-Patented Dec. 19, 1939 v MACHINE ron HAND'SEAMING IN VACUUM Gerald L. Ardron, Seattle, Wash, vasslgnor .to'

yContinental Can Company, Inc., Newf; York, .-N.Y., a corporation of NewA Yorkt e 'minnesota september 7.1937, serial Nm'isasza com.. v(ci. 11s-cs)- i' The invention relates generally i to,..container sealing machines and has for an object to pro'- vide a novel, simple andeftlcient, hand actuated l seaming machine for sealing, in a vacuum, cans containing vfruits, vegetables, salmon or like products.

1n its more detailed naturetne inventionvre-.

sides in the provision of. a vacuum seaming chaine.-y

ber, a door through which access may be had to. said chamber, means including a manuallyactuated valve for bringing aboutand relievingan evacuated'condition in said chamber, a rotating chuck in the chamber, seamingmeansmanually engageable with a can rotated 'by sai chuck,l a can holding pad movable towardand.

fromthe chuck, and novel stop devices prevent.- ing the movement ci a can intoengagement with the chuck until the negative pressure controlling valve becomes fully effective... y

Another object of the invention Ais to provide novel means formountingthe seaming devices'- so as to adapt,them to engagement with l.varied sizes of cans.-L

Another object oi' the .invention is to providev a simple door structure for sealingfthe vacuum seaming chamber, and control valve equipment' for bringing about and relieving an evacuated evacuated condition is relieved. Withv the above' and other objects in view which will more fully appear, the nature of the invention'will be more clearly understood. by following the description, the appended claims,

and the several views illustrated in the accom panying drawings. In the drawings- Figure l is a right hand embodying the invention. Y

Figure 2 is an enlarged left handfelevation of the major upper portion of the machine.

in Figure 25 Figuref Aiis a `horizontal section taken Figure 5 is a horizontal section takenon the line 5-5'on Figure l, the 4valve closed position of the handle being shown in full lines, the nearly open position in dotted lines, and the fully open position indot and dash lines.

Figure 6 is a detail vertical cross section taken A' through the axis of t-he chuck, the can being shown raisedv to the partially lifted rod stopped position,- in dot and dash lines.

' 1 10r ist'. detail plan viewl ofv the adjust- Y ablaeccentrie rock shaftbearing member.

vings' lll.v `A`A shaft ll'ffisjrotatably!mounteclvin e the bearings Y9, anda shaftl2 isr'otatamyjsup-l -g f portedmin the Ybearings l0, said'shaftsbeing connectedf in fdrivingf relation-by bevel gears` Il( U-shapedhousing I Visil removably 'mounted onf;` l

the, framing and completes algearfboivlike'for-'f j elevation of amachine l verablyincludes a handle portion 25'. Figure 3-is aV front elevation of the parts shown y thl'Ollgh-M the axis ofthe chuck drive shaftl f the line lflon'FlgureL i.

Figure 8 isaxplanview oilthemachinefthe 'trame vstandard and the chuck". driving "sha".fi'.; being'shown inf horizontal cross sectiomand the v valve handle being 'shown in the'valvel 'ope`n,;l stop rod retracting. position. J

,corsica Figure 9.158., detauvemai 'fseticri the fmel-"sfonrigure s.

m.Y the dfawings'. .in :when .like numerales: i reference indicate like parts inail of. the figures,

cludes `a 4'frame standardA 5.,.suppolrted on-` a base A 6, Aand provided atlfits ilpiiflfr.-.end with. atablel movablymminted-f. .v The framing'alsqis formed tqgnrvidespaced vertical"bearing`s` "sfand spaced horizontal*bear portion, 1 on .whichan'electricy motor 811s jre#- I I have disclosed 'one form of machine embodying. 'i

thev principlesof the invention and which in ,1|iy i'l.

mation about the'gears' |3 At its rearend the'shaft Iilcarries `a large' spur gear I5 to which rotation is imparted-hva small protective 'housing for 'thefgears l5' and '16'. g 4

A vacuum chamber 'housingV I9 is 'secured fasi motor 8. A protective guard l1, secured as slt-I8Vv p v upon theframe standard, provides a'. 'suitable'- yat 20 uponv the frame 'standard'and includeslan hinged "as at'` 22 to the housing-and carryinga` open front adapted to be closed. byadoor 2|"" vide a substantially 'airtight' seal.l "The door pref; .1, x

ciprocable' in a guide bearing 21 adjustably sup; ported as at`28 upon the frame standard'.

column passes through an oil seal bearing 29' I9 into the interior of said housing.: At its lower end the'column 26 isV recessed as Vatj30 torecelve y the bifurcated en'd'3l of acrank lleverI pivoted provided therefor in the bottom of-the 4lnusing f intermediate its ends as at 32,uponan;.extension of the housing supportl 28. The remaining free' end of the lever is bii'urcat'ed as'at Y is thus connected to move with the column 26. A stop pin 36, projecting `from the frame standard '5, serves to limit downward movement of the column.

Upon its upper end, the column 26 carries a can supporting pad 31. The pad is equipped with an axially depending standing 38 rotatable in a sleeve bearing 38 provided therefor in t: column 26.` This standard extends through a hardened bearing ring 40 supported upon the upper end of the column and upon which the pad has an anti-thrust bearing as indicated at 4I.

A treadle 42.is pivotally mounted as at 43 adjacent the lower end of the standard 5 and is connected, intermediate its ends as at 44, with the control rod 34. The spring 45 normally holds the rockable lever in the Acolumn lowered, control rod raised position. f.

At its lower end, the driver shaft Il carries a can rotating chuck 46 removably secured thereon as at41 and extending into the upper portion of the vacuum chamber. The chuck equipment includes a spindley A48 rotatable in an oil seal signed to be oscillated through 90 during the performance of its control function by a handle member 1 I.

stop. rod 52 and is engageable with the abutment head 58 carried on said rod during movement of the valve rotor to the fully open or chamber-evacuating position, said engagement taking place just prior to attainment by said valve of its fully open condition. See the dotted lines in Figure 5. It should be understood that in theA iso-called closed position, see full line position of the hand1e1| in Figure 5, communication is had between the housing chamber and atmosphere, relieving the evacuated condition in said chamber and permitting opening of. the closure door 2|. In the open position of the valve, see the dot and dash line position of the handle 1| in Figure 5, communication is had between the vacuum chamber and the exhauster or source of negative pressure, the seaming operation can be performed under a vacuum, and the door 2| cannot be yopened until the evacuated condition of the bearing v48', and the chuck proper 46.v The can supporting padv 81 preferably is removably secured as'at 58 so that it-may be removed and replaced by other pads, and the chuck equipment includes a chuck plate 5I similarly removable so that replacements may be used, 'thus adapting` the machine to the seamingv of cans of varied diameters. The adjustable bearing 21,28 adapts the machine to the seaming of cans of varied lengths.

A stop rod 52 is reciprocably mounted in transverse relation to and in the planev occupied by the control rod 34. The rod 52 is slidable in and projects from the ends of a long sleeve bearing 53 sleeve 53 is` counterbored `as at`55 to receive the enlarged stop head`56 forming apart of the rod counterbore-55 'and serves normally to project 52. A spring 51 is coiledabout the rod52 in the chamber is relieved by a closing of the valve.

A pair of steaming rollers function within the vacuum chamber, one being` designated the first seaming roller 14, 'and theother the second seaming roller 15. The'rollers are rotatably carried as at 16 at the respective ends of a double crank member 11 supported on the.lower send of a stem 18. This stem is vertically disposed-and oscillatable in a bearing bore 19 and extends upwardly through said bore and through an oil seal bearing 88 formed in a hub 8| eccentrically positioned on a disk 82. The disk -82 is adjustably clamped in a housing recess 83 through the medium of the clamp ring 84. cludinga depending stop vane 86 is secured upon the extended end of the stem 18, said handle member being oscillatable between adjustable stop screws 81 for the purposeof alternatelypresenting the seaming rollers 14 and 15 for engagement with a can being rotated by the chuck for the stop head 56 to a position close to the control rod, a limiting collar 58 engageable with an end of the sleeve bearing 53 serving to limit outward 'movement of the rod 52 just short of contact with the control rod `34. At its other end the rod 52 `carries an abutment head 58 which serves a function soon to be described.'`

Toward its uppe'rend, the controlrod 34 slides in a bearing memberand carries a stop collar 8| adjustably secured thereon as at 62 in position for engaging4 the projected stop head-56 and limiting the amount of lift that can be imparted to a pad'supported can when said stop head is in its effective or normal position. The parts are so arranged and proportioned that so long asthe stop head 56 is projected the stop collar 6| will engage it and prevent the pad from lifting a can all the way into engagement with thee rotating chuck. In practicethe stopA devices halt can movement when the loosely resting cover o f the can is spaced'as at 64, about one sixteenth of an .inch from the chuck. See Figure 6.

An air duct affords communication between the interior of the housing I9, or the vacuum chamber, and one leg 66 of a three-way valve. Another leg 61 of the valve is open to atmosphere, and the third leg 68 is connected by a pipe line 59 with an exhauster or any suitable negative pressure source (not shown). The rotor 18 of the valve is equipped with a T-shaped communication control opening 10 and is deturning the sealing seam thereon. See Figures 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10. y As .the handle is pushed away from the operator, the roller 14 performs the first seaming -a can being rotated by a rotary chuck '.-is known in the -fart and it is thought to be unnecessaryv further to dwell upon the details concerning the structure and function of said rollers. An example of structures ofthis type is ;to :be lfound in the patent to Kronquest #2,023,598 .issued .December 10, 1935.

By adjusting the disk 82 about its axis the spacing between the axes of the eccentrically-disposed stem 18 and the chuck carrying shaft III may be varied to adapt the seaming rollers 14 and 15 to seaming engagement with cans of v.-ried diameters. y

A lgage 88 may be mounted on the housing I8 'to indicate pressure conditions in the lvacuum chamber.

In operation,a can is placed through the open door 2| onto the pad 31 and the treadle 42 is depressed to raise the pad toward the chuck. The treadle moves the control rod 34 and the projected stop rod head 56 engages the stop collar 6I to halt upward movement of the can vwhen its top A handle member 85 .in-

for moving the support to present a container for contact with the chuck, stop means effective to limit movement oi the support in position to present containers close-to but spaced slightly from the chuck so that the chuck will prevent displacement of the loosely applied covers, a valve manually movable to an open position to effect an evacuated condition in-the chamber and to another position to relieve'the evacuated condition, means movable with the valve and effective as the valve approachesits fully open vposition to move the stop means to an ineffective position, and means operable upon movement of the valve to said another position to return said stop means to its eifective position.

9. In apparatus for sealing containers in a vacuum, the combination of a vacuum chamber, container sealing means including a container supporting element and a chuck element, means for bringing about relative movement between said elements to cause the chuck element and a container to engage or disengage, means normally limiting relative movement between the elements so that a loosely applied cover on the container mit the container and the cover loosely appliedr thereon to be tightly engaged'with the chuck.

' l GERALD L. ARDRON. 

